Various lipids (mainly meibum lipids secreted by the meibomian glands) are present in the tear film lipid layer and play important roles in tear stability and the health of the cornea and conjunctiva. Many meibum lipids contain fatty alcohols (FAls) with chain lengths ≥C24, but the fatty acyl-CoA reductases (FARs) that produce them remain unclear. Here, using cell-based assays, we found that the two FAR isozymes (FAR1 and FAR2) show different substrate specificities: FAR1 and FAR2 are involved in the production of C16-C18 and ≥C20 FAls, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMixed lead-tin (Pb-Sn) halide perovskites with optimum band gaps near 1.3 eV are promising candidates for next-generation solar cells. However, the performance of solar cells fabricated with Pb-Sn perovskites is restricted by the facile oxidation of Sn(ii) to Sn(iv), which induces self-doping.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA lipid layer consisting of meibum lipids exists in the tear film and functions in preventing dry eye disease. Although the meibum lipids include diverse lipid classes, the synthesis pathway and role of each class remain largely unknown. Here, we created single and double knockout (KO and DKO, respectively) mice for the two acyl-CoA wax alcohol acyltransferases ( and ) and investigated their dry eye phenotypes and meibum lipid composition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe toxicity of lead perovskite hampers the commercialization of perovskite-based photovoltaics. While tin perovskite is a promising alternative, the facile oxidation of tin(II) to tin(IV) causes a high density of defects, resulting in lower solar cell efficiencies. Here, we show that tin(0) nanoparticles in the precursor solution can scavenge tin(IV) impurities, and demonstrate that this treatment leads to effectively tin(IV)-free perovskite films with strong photoluminescence and prolonged decay lifetimes.
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